Seal.



J. KLEIN.

SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12,1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Hf, .vulve/b PLI'FRS Co PHOTO l ITHO wAMff'm/ON D f FFCE.

JOHN KLEIN, OF TAMPA, FLORIDA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

SEAL.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Application led September 12, 1914. Serial No. 861,397.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN KLEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tampa, in the county of Hillsborough and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seals, of which the following is a specification.

rThis invention relates to seals, and more particularly to a combined seal and name plate for use on trunks, suit cases, and articles of a similar nature.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a seal of the class described which is capable of quick and easy manipulation, and which will hold the article to which it is attached firmly locked and secure against undetected tampering.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seal which may be readily unlocked without the use of a tool.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a seal in which a metallic sealing strip is utilized for locking the members of the seal together, thus maintaining the article to which the seal is attached in locked position, said sealing strip being capable of being broken by the fingers for unlocking the seal.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a seal of the class described which will be simple, durable, efficient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

`With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which-4 Figure 1 represents a front elevational view of a seal constructed according to my invention showing the same in locked position, the spring holding case being shown in section. Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a front elevational view of the case the sealing strip being indicated in position therein. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 1 4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the sealing strip.

Referring more particularly to the draw ing the seal is shown as applied to a suit case, 5 indicating the top and 6 the body thereof. The seal comprises a casing 7 secured to the body, a staple 8 secured to the top and a sealing strip 9 adapted to connect the staple and casing for locking parts of the suit case together, suitable means being provided as hereinafter described for attaining a locking engagement of the strip with the staple and casing.

The casing is hollow, and is provided with flanges 10 whereby it may be secured to the suit case by means of rivets or similar fastenings 11. The front and rear walls of the casing are provided with inwardly eX- tending vertical channels 12, which extend from the top nearly to the bottom of the casing. The channels serve mainly to guide the sealing strip. Secured within the casing 7 are the leaf springs 13, which are disposed one in each end of the casing on opposite sides of the channels. The springs each comprise a leaf 111 and a shank or body 15. The latter is disposed in a substantially vertical position, and is secured at its outer end and also at a point near the junction of the shank and the leaf, to one of the end walls of the casing. The leaf portions of the springs extend obliquely downwardly toward each other from the upper corners of the casing, in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The sealing strip comprises a body 35 having guide flanges 16 projecting from one side thereof in parallel relation, and having a head 17 at its upper end and a finger hold 18 at its lower end. The head 17 is connected to the body by means of a neck 19 formed by notching the strip on its opposite edges as at 20. The wings or ends 21 of the head 17 project laterally from and overhang the edges of the strip.

In locking the device the strip is extended through the staple 8 and into the casing between the channels 12, in such position that the flanges 16 embrace the channel formed in the rear wall. The top and bottom walls 22 and 23 of the casing are provided with openings alining with the space between the channels, 'so that the strip may be extended through said walls. By forcing the strip down to the position shown in Fig. 1 the ends of the leaf springs are engaged by finger hold 18 and separated until said hold has passed below the lower ends of the springs, whereupon they retract to be engaged in the notches 24 cut in the'edges of the sealing strip just above the finger hold. The notches form shoulders 25 against which the ends of the springs are adapted to engage. y This position of the strip is indicatedin' Fig.'1,`aiid"it' vvillbeM A evident that the'strip cannot be raised out,l of engagement With the springs 4: Without, either breaking-the strip "or the springs and @outerwear subsane-@dane "fact "will be readilydetected.`A Secure'djupon the yiront face of the casing is a plate-"26ad'apted'to receive a visiting card', the plate being provided with thehlsu'al openings 27 'to reveal thename and address Von'thecard". 1

Such a seal asI havel provided`may be easily andy quickly attached either to' the side or' theends ofa suit casejor `similar article; and may bequicklylocked in=posi tion', andvill maintain","theI suit case j or trunkin securely 'locke'dfposition A number-l of the' sealing strips may be conveniently 'carried' by a 'traveli,*siiice they'are small andfofno materialvfeig'ht.V s The seal :may be ,unlockedvfitlioutl theE uselof V'any fkind of voor by 'merely 'twistingand removing 'the head and withdrawing the sea-ling strip. YThis :isf extremely advantageous? provision', since iteliminates'both the necessity of carrying a cutting tool, landthe 'loss' of time, disadvantages 'a'ccriingtoi many? of the seals h'letfdre prv'ded *y Although'l have described: the? preferred embodirn'e'ntt of my invnting A"may desire to make suclf changes in5 theconstiu'ction,

c'c )rnbination arid arrangement" of parts.

thereofIl as do not? depart 'fronti V'the' spirit" of 'j-'t'hze invention"l andthe scope ofthe' appended of the'ca'sing, a sealing strip 'provided with -lange's' a'daptedto 'engage one*- of said channels for 'guiding the" strip, said strip' l'provl'ded with Shoulders" against Which'said y springs" fare" adapted" to-'locl-,f-- and ahead formed integrally With the strip and adaptedmtd" engage the staple When the springs are in locking position, said head being capable of severance from the strip7 and means whereby said strip maybe removed from the casing upon severance of a uiefhead:

2. A seal comprising a casing and a staple adapted to be secured to the closure members"of1a"receptacle, a sealing strip, said strip adapted to'be projected through the stapleinto said "casing, (zo-acting g-uide'means betvv'eenffthe `strip and casing, springs supported Within 'the casing, colacting means betvveen said springs andstri'pvfo'r'preventing Withdrawal from'the strip in; thev casing in onei'directio'n, a head carried bythe strip and f' adapted' to engage the staplel Ifor pre.

venting Withdrawalv of'the strip in' Ithe opposite-"direction,- saidhead being.: capable of severance'fro'm th'e strip for allowing Withdrawal of 'the'latten 3;? 'A seal comprising a staplefand a-f sealingy strip adapted to be projected through said staple in onedirection into the casing, means on A:said 4strip for limiting the movement of the strip through the'staple in that. direction, means` carried by the casing adaptedy to engage the strip for'pr'eventing removal ofthe same: fromthe casirgfin the opposite' directiongsaid movement limiting means adaptedtobe severed-from the strip for'allowingvvithdravval of thesame, and means Where'bythefstrip may be Withdrawn upon* severance of the movement limiting means. i i Y 4'. In "a seal? of the class described, a sealtion having 'guidey flanges projecting. Jfrom one side thereof irrparal'lelrelation, a head,

al neck connecting"theheadvvith thebody portion,i saidhead adapted to fbe severed al casing,

10o ing strip,'said7strip:comprising'a' body gpor- A ders"Jormed'A o'nsa'iidV sealingk strip, springsf' carried by the casing" and adaptedto'engage saidshoulder's' to prevent-Withdrawal `or said stripin-onedirection, coacting means be-l tween the strip'and' staple Jfor preventing Withdrawal of-the'st'ripin the opposite direction,V said fm'ans' Icapable of severance from' the 'strip to allow Withdrawal' of the saine, and meansformedfon thest'rip Whereby it' maybe `vi/"itlfidravvn`-upon severance of first nlea'ris.

Washington, 1).,0.

JOHN KLEIN; I 

